bubblePOP’s As If! A ’90s Party at 1884 Lounge

The first bubblePOP pop-up dance party debuted in February with an '80s prom party. "It was so diverse," says bubblePOP's Kristi Ryan. "If you went to the prom in the '80s or were born in the '80s, it didn't matter."

And that's sorta the point. Ryan was a kid in the '90s. Her wife Bridget Wells was in college. Ryan's '90s is not the same as Wells' '90s. bubblePOP's As If! A '90s Party embraces it all — from the "MMMbop"-er to the "Smells Like Teen Spirit" disciple.

Ryan is a born-and-bred Memphian. She left for Austin and film school and then made her way to L.A. It was there she met Wells, and it was there she encountered a Back to the Future-themed dance party that featured guests in their '50s prom best and seamlessly blended '50s and '80s music. When Ryan and Wells moved to Memphis, they thought the concept would translate well.

Scenes from bubblePOP’s ’80s prom party, Bridget Wells and Kristi Ryan at left

At the '90s Party, L.A.-based DJ Vinay Shah of the Flashdance collective will be spinning records, and there will be TV and movie clips screened (think the O.J. chase, Clarissa Explains It All, Pete & Pete ...). Guests, of course, are encouraged to don their fanciest chokers, platform shoes, juncos, and wife beaters. Should be hella fun.

Next up for bubblePOP is a Halloween party on October 28th, and they hope to start doing parties in public spaces in the style of Fourth Bluff. "Our goal," says Ryan, "is to bring the community together on the dance floor."